Day five was our travel day from Tofino to Vancouver. We drove across the island, jumped on the ferry, and made our way to our first destination: Capilano Suspension Bridge. This was a popular place. The bridge was packed, but it made for an amusing 140m walk across! By the time we finished at Capilano, it was time for dinner and we set up camp.
On day six we went on a day trip to Whistler. I was most excited for this day, and it definitely didn't disappoint. We left early so we could spend as much time there as possible. We started off strolling through the shops and village. Here we took a photo with the Olympic Rings! We ate a quick lunch, and then took the Whistler Gondola up the mountain. We bought the Peak to Peak pass so we could also travel over to Blackcomb Peak. We decided to hike the Half Note Trail, which took approximately two hours. It was stunning! It started with a steep decline, but then levelled to a beautiful walk along the side of the mountain displaying pretty wildflowers, refreshing streams and fantastic views. The three of us felt like we were in the Sound of Music! Yes, we sang the songs while hiking. The hike finished with a huge incline which, despite Shannon making it look like a piece of cake, was brutal. We briefly visited Blackcomb before heading to Joffre Lake. Joffre Lake is an hour outside of Whistler, and has three lakes. Because of time, we only visited Lower Joffre Lake, which had incredibly blue water. If you ever have the time to hike up to Upper Joffre Lake, I would recommend it.
On day seven we met up with two of my friends, Jessica and Jared. They lived in London for a few years while I was in high school, but now live in Vancouver. I try to meet up with them whenever they visit Ontario, and it was nice to now see them in their favourite city! We also had the privilege of meeting Des, Emily, and Sam. We walked around Gastown, ate lunch overlooking the mountains, visited Kitsilano, and enjoyed Kitsilano Beach. It was a treat to spend time walking around the city, since we hadn't seen much of Vancouver yet. The worst part of the day was dropping Shannon off at the airport and saying goodbye. This trip would not have been the same without her. We finished the day in Surrey, where we stayed with my wonderful cousin, Gill. It was the coolest thing to spend time with two of my best friends AND close cousin.
Day eight was lake day! We drove to Jones Lake (PSA: this was the roughest road I have ever driven on. It was up a windy hill, all potholes, with the occasional logging machine. I was crying from laughter because of how much our bodies were bouncing around the car). Jones Lake was the lake I was most excited to see, and it was definitely my favourite from the trip. You are surrounded by mountains on all sides, with glacier mountains on the far end of the lake. We were the only people at the lake, and our voices echoed throughout the amazing mountains. That morning we found the perfect floaties from Dollarama, and the four of us relaxed on the water before having lunch. Also, we saw our second bear while at Jones Lake! On our way home from Jones Lake we stopped at Bridal Veil falls, and Harrison. In Harrison we visited Harrison Lake and the hot springs!
On our ninth day, Meghan and I woke up early for our busy and active day (we joked that we completed our own version of a triathlon). We started with Kayaking in Deep Cove. Can I just say, this area was by far my favourite area of Vancouver, and maybe one of the prettiest areas I have ever travelled to. It had the PERFECT view of the mountains, a beautiful harbour and the cutest strip of shops. While kayaking we spotted a couple of seals while admiring the houses on the escarpment. I was in awe the entire time. We got out of our kayaks and headed straight to a 4km hike to Quarry Rock, which overlooked Deep Cove. We had a burger break, and drove to downtown Vancouver to bike Stanley Park. We didn't realize it was a oneway loop, so it was longer than we anticipated, but we're glad we biked it all! Biking through the park and Vancouver was another highlight from the trip.
For our last day Gill, Meghan and I spent some time at Alouette Lake (aka my favourite show, Riverdale, was filmed here and begged Gill to take us). It was the perfect, peaceful end to a busy and exciting trip. Thank you SO much for hosting us, Gill!
I fell in love with British Columbia, and there's no doubt in my mind I will be back. Thank you Meghan and Shannon for the laughs and memories over the last week and a half. I'll cherish them forever!
Stephanie
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